As Parliament prepares to debate gambling reform this week, Anglicare Australia is warning that the biggest protections against gambling harm remain missing.
The call comes as Anglicare Australia releases a new paper on Gambling and Gambling Harm, outlining practical reforms to reduce harm and better protect people, families and communities. It calls for:
- A phased ban on gambling advertising;
- Stronger regulation of online gambling, including a ban on inducements and promotions;
- A national gambling regulator with stronger enforcement powers;
- More funding for gambling harm support services; and
- National leadership on mandatory cashless gaming systems for poker machines.
Anglicare Australia Executive Director Kasy Chambers said gambling had become impossible to avoid, while governments had been far too slow to act.
“Australians lose more money to gambling than people anywhere else in the world. We see the consequences every day in our services. People come to us because they can’t pay the rent, they’re buried in debt, or their family is falling apart.
“If Parliament is finally going to debate gambling reform this week, it should debate the reforms that will actually make the biggest difference.”
Ms Chambers said gambling harm should be treated as a public health issue rather than an individual failing.
“We don’t reduce gun deaths by telling people to be more careful with guns. We regulate who can own them, how they are stored, and what kinds of firearms are available.
“Gambling should be no different. If a product causes widespread harm, governments have a responsibility to make it safer.
“Parliament has an opportunity this week to show Australians it is serious about reducing gambling harm. This legislation should be the beginning of reform, not the end of it.”